The Coachella of comedy is getting into the unscripted TV space.
Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival, which each July attracts Los Angeles scouts and execs eyeing established and emerging talent for film, TV and other projects, is pacting with indie Lone Eagle Entertainment to jointly develop and produce nonscripted comedy projects.
“JFL knows the comedy business better than anyone and have a cherished international brand that has been built on innovation, quality and most importantly, understanding funny,” Lone Eagle CEO and executive producer Michael Geddes said Monday in a statement.
Read more Just for Laughs not just for Montreal anymore
The partners expect to pitch their first projects to North American broadcasters in the coming months. Just for Laughs is best known for its comedy specials, live touring shows headlined by Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari, and the hidden camera prank series Just for Laughs Gags, which airs in 135 territories and on 95 airlines.
But the Canadian festival in recent years has targeted an increasingly global comedy business, online and internationally, thanks to the digital age. Just for Laughs earlier partnered with Maker Studios to expand its online presence with a branded YouTube channel, and co-produced scripted shows like the CBC’s The Tournament and IFC’s Bullet in the Face, which stars Eddie Izzard.
Just for Laughs Group was founded in 1983 with its first comedy festival in Montreal. It welcomes nearly 2 million festivalgoers each summer.
